1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an endoscope washing and disinfecting apparatus which automatically washes and disinfects an endoscope channel by fitting a liquid supply mouthpiece which supplies at least a liquid to the endoscope channel to a channel mouthpiece of the endoscope channel of an endoscope, and the liquid supply mouthpiece.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, endoscopes have been widely used in the medical field and the industrial field. With the endoscopes used in the medical field, the elongated insertion portions are inserted into body cavities, whereby organs in body cavities can be observed, and various treatments can be performed with use of treatment instruments inserted into the insertion channels for the treatment instruments included by the endoscopes in accordance with necessity.
The endoscopes of the medical field are used by being inserted into body cavities especially for the purpose of inspection and treatment, and therefore, the endoscopes need to be washed and disinfected after use to be used again. As the method for washing and disinfecting the endoscopes already used, there is known, for example, the method with use of an endoscope washing and disinfecting apparatus (hereinafter, simply called a washing and disinfecting apparatus).
With use of the washing and disinfecting apparatus, an endoscope can be automatically washed, disinfected, rinsed, drained and the like (hereinafter, called a washing and disinfecting process) by only being set in a washing and disinfecting bath of the washing and disinfecting apparatus.
On this occasion, a washing solution and a disinfectant solution are supplied not only to an outer surface of the endoscope, but also into a plurality of endoscope channels such as a known gas supply and water supply channel, suction channel, and a treatment instrument insertion channel which the endoscope has inside, and thereby, the insides of the endoscope channels are washed and disinfected.
In washing and disinfecting the inside of an endoscope channel using a washing and disinfecting apparatus, a liquid supply mouthpiece provided at the other end of a washing tube is fitted to a channel mouthpiece of the endoscope channel of the endoscope which is set in a washing and disinfecting bath by, for example, an operator. A liquid supply port which is provided in the washing and disinfecting apparatus is connected to one end of the washing tube. As a result, washing and disinfection are performed in the state in which various liquids such as a washing solution, a disinfectant solution, and a rinse water can be supplied into the endoscope channel via the washing tube from the washing and disinfecting apparatus.
Incidentally, when a tissue in a body cavity which is sucked in an inspection using, for example, an endoscope is clogged in the endoscope channel, the abovementioned various liquids cannot be supplied to the entire inside of the endoscope channel due to the tissue with which the endoscope channel is clogged.
Therefore, it is conventionally checked visually by an operator whether or not there is clogging in the endoscope channel. However, a visual observation operation becomes not only a burden for an operator, but also it is difficult to visually recognize clogging in an endoscope channel reliably.
Thus, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-299697 discloses the configuration in which a flow rate sensor is provided for each of the channels which supply various kinds of liquids in the liquid supply port of the washing and disinfecting apparatus. Specifically, there is disclosed the configuration in which clogging in an endoscope channel can be detected by comparing the flow rate when the inside of the endoscope channel is clogged, and the flow rate without clogging in the endoscope channel, more specifically, the configuration in which when the detected flow rate is lower than the flow rate without clogging in the endoscope channel, clogging inside the endoscope channel is detected by the flow rate sensor.
However, when a liquid supply mouthpiece is not fitted to the channel mouthpiece of an endoscope channel to be completely fluid-tight, a liquid leaks from between both the mouthpieces when various liquids are supplied into the endoscope channel.
Thereby, even if clogging occurs in the endoscope channel, various liquids leak from between the respective mouthpieces. Therefore, there is the problem that though various kinds of liquids are not supplied to the entire inside of the endoscope channel, decrease in flow rate by the flow rate sensor cannot be detected, and clogging of the endoscope channel cannot be detected.
In view of such a problem, there is known the configuration being capable of connecting the respective mouthpieces to be fluid-tight, but in such a configuration, seal portions in the respective mouthpieces do not contact the washing solution and the disinfectant solution, and therefore, washing and disinfection of the seal portions in the respective mouthpieces have to be performed additionally in the subsequent process, which is very complicated for an operator.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 8-24813 discloses a configuration of connection of mouthpieces in which when the liquid supply mouthpiece is fitted to the channel mouthpiece of an endoscope channel, predetermined amounts of various liquids leak from a space between the respective mouthpiece portions, and by the leaked various kinds of liquids, seal portions in the respective mouthpiece portions can be washed and disinfected.